Vientiane residents are helping to keep the city as clean as possible by volunteering as street sweepers in their communities ahead of the ASEAN summits next month.People across the capital are gathering each Saturday morning to start sweeping the sidewalks in their villages in an effort to try and keep Vientiane clean before welcoming delegations from around the world attending the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits to be held back-to back on September 6-8.
Head of the Vientiane Urban Management and Administration Office Mrs Vilayvone Chanthalapy told Vientiane Times on Thursday that garbage trucks have also been following the sweepers to help take dust, grass, and other waste away from along the roads.
“We encourage people in the districts to clean their thoroughfares in a bid to help the government save some of its budget, following the advice of Prime Minister,” she said.
The main streets where guests will stay while attending the summits, including those streets to meeting rooms, will have around 50 sweepers and gardeners posted for work along these routes.
That includes about eleven main roads and some community streets where sand will be removed and they will be cleaned with water to remove all dust.
Main roads such as Lane Xang Avenue, Kaysone Phomvihane Road, the road running between Wattay International Airport and Souphanouvong Road, and Thadeua Road linking roads to the Lao-Thai International Friendship Bridge have already been cleaned.
The Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Press Department reported last week, more than 5,000 official delegates, business leaders of whom 200 are foreign media personnel, will attend and cover the summit in Vientiane in September.
The Vientiane Urban Management and Administration Office say they are attempting more efforts at being ‘clean and green’ while trying to provide a pleasant and healthy environment for both residents and visitors.
Mrs Vilayvone said that residents should help the sweepers keep the roadsides clean while also cleaning the pavement outside of their houses every day to try and keep Vientiane consistently clean.
Source: Vientiane Times
